Student Exploration: Fast Plants® 1 – Growth and Genetics
Note to teachers and students: The Fast Plants® Gizmo was created in collaboration with the Wisconsin Fast Plants Program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These lessons can be used independently or in conjunction with classroom...
Student Exploration: Fast Plants® 1 – Growth and Genetics
Note to teachers and students: The Fast Plants® Gizmo was created in collaboration with the
Wisconsin Fast Plants Program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These lessons can be
used independently or in conjunction with classroom Fast Plants experiments.
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. What do plants need to survive? Water , Sunlight , Nutrients in the soil ,
space , Carbon Dioxide
2. How do plants reproduce? By pollination
Gizmo Warm-up
Several common vegetables, including Bok choy, napa
cabbage, and turnips, are varieties of a plant called
Brassica rapa. Fast plants are a rapid-cycling variety of
Brassica rapa that was developed at the University of
Wisconsin. These plants have short growing cycles and
are ideal for classroom use. In the Fast Plants® 1 –
Growth and Genetics Gizmo, you will learn about the life
cycle and genetic traits of Fast Plants.
In the Gizmo, drag seed packet A to container 1 and
seed packet B to container 2. Click Play ( ), and then
Pause ( )
after about 10 simulated days.
,1. A plants traits are its characteristics. Drag the magnifying glass over container 1.
Describe
, the traits of these plants. All of them have purple stems and green leaves
2. Drag the magnifier over container 2. How do these plants differ from the container
1 plants?
Rather than having purple stems and green leaves , they have green stems and
lighter green ( yellow?) leaves.
Ra
Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
The Fast • Click Reset ( ). Plant seeds A in
Plants® life container 1.
cycle • Turn on Show hints.
Introduction: Fast Plants® are grown in wicking systems, typically made of nested
plastic containers. The larger container is the water reservoir. Water from the
reservoir travels through the wick into the soil, where roots draw the water into
stems and leaves.
Question: How do Fast Plants grow and reproduce?
1. Grow: With seeds A in container 1, click Play. Click Pause on day 17.
A. Is the container full of water? No If not, drag the water bottle to
the container.
B. Do the plants look like they are too crowded? Yes If so, use the
tweezers to pull out a few plants and discard them in the waste hole.
2. Pollinate: The bee stick should be active at the bottom of the Gizmo. A bee
stick is a dead bee glued on a toothpick. Drag the bee stick through the
flowers.
A. What happens to the appearance of the bee stick as it is dragged
through the flowers? It becomes brighter and more yellow , it is showing the
pollen on the bee
The bee’s hairy thorax (middle section) is covered in pollen. Pollen is
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